Portable grease gun



spt. 16, 1930. H. ALBERTINE PORTABLE GREASEGUN Filed May 16, 192B 3 Sheets-Sheet l N HE Ru Em m6 E Alm 0 P.

Sept. 16, 1930.

Filed May 16, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 swt' 1 5, 1930. H. ALBERTINI?. 1,776,095

PORTABLE GREASE GUN Filed May 16, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 IIIIIIIIIIIIHMW i cant in said reservoir.

' Patented Sept. 16, 1930 PATENT oFFIcE JIERMAN ALBERTINE, F EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY PORTABLE GREASE GUN Application filed May 16,

My present invention relates to force feed lubricators or grease guns of the general type shown in my prior application Ser. No. 190,726, filed May 12, 1927 Such grease guns are designed for use in systems for supplying lubricant, such as oil or grease, under pressure to bearings and, as disclosed in said application, the lubricant in a cylindrical reservoir is forced toward one end of the reservoir which is detachably secured in a socket in a support also provided with a booster pump cylinder extending across the axis of the lsocket below the floor thereof and receiving lubricant therefrom through a passage opening into the socket at the base thereof and constituting an outlet for the lubri- Valveless, also includes a plunger piston fitting in said cylinder and a long operating lever pivoted tosaid plunger and also to a link pivoted at its other end to said support, the arrangement being such that the lever or handle is swung downwardly to a horizontal position in its pressure or compression stroke.

` A feature of the present invention involves the mounting of the reservoir support on a truck in such a manner that the reservoir, while normally in a horizontal position may be swung upwardly to a convenient position for removing the reservoir to enable rcfilling thereof. The support 'and reservoir are normally retained with the reservoir in horizontal position by suitable holding means and the upward swinging of the structure may be limited by suitable stops, preferably to a position in which the reservoir and its base are in a substantially stable condition with respect to gravity. Another feature relates to the provision of a strainer which is a stationary fixture in the support or base of the reservoir. f

According to the present invention, the outer end of the cylinder is provided with a device through which air under pressure may be supplied back of a follower or piston for urging the lubricant toward the pump, and is also provided with a venting device for relieving the air pressure quickly before removal of the cylinder from the support or base to avoid The pump, which is 192s. serial No. 278,290.

blowing out lubricant when the reservoir is separated from the base. The pump operating lever is pivoted at an intermediate point thereof to the pump plunger and at a point beyond the support or base is pivotally connected with said support by means including a link. Another feature of the lpresent invention involves the pivoting of the support to the truck that when swung up to the position for removing the reservoir the overhanging fulcrum parts of the pump operating lever will be held clear of the surface on which the truck rests. l

rlhe above and otherfeatures of my invention will be more Aevident from the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an approved embodiment of the invention, parts Ybeing broken away to show the underlying structure;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View along the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; l

Figl 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, showing the structure at the corresponding end;

Fig. 5 is an end view looking from the right in Fig. 1, showing the structure at the corresponding end; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation similar to Fig. l but with the reservoir and connecting parts in raised position.

In Fig. 1 the reservoir 10, which has a cap 11 at one end, is screw-threaded at its other end to enable its attachment to a base or support 13 by screwing such threadedend into an internally threaded socket 14 formed vzo at one side of the support 13. The socket 14 communicates with a passage 15 which eX- tends around and communicates with a cylindrical bore or pump cylinder 16 substantially parallel to the base of the socketand extending diametrically with respect thereto. The pump also includes a plunger 17 which extends to the outside of the base or support 13 through an externally threaded bushing collar 18 which is threaded into a cavity 19 forming an enlarged end ofthe bore 16 and wedges packing 20 into the tapered inner end of said cavity 19 and around said plunger. v Upon reciprocation of the plunger 17, lubricant from the reservoir 10 will be forced through the outlet 15 by the piston 21 whenever the inner end of the plunger is withdrawn into or beyond the reservoir outlet or cylinder inlet 15. During the downward movement of the plunger, lubricant will be forced thereby to the end of the cylinder and through passages 22 to a point of attachment for a conduit or hose 23 through which the lubricant will be forced to the desired point.

At times air will collect at the outlet end of the pump cylinder and interfere with the working of the pump. This air and also lubricant, when desired, may be vented .through a passage 24`communicating at its outer end with a larger bore 25 into which is threaded a screw 26 having its inner end shaped for seating at the outer end of the passage 24 to control the passage of air and lubricant therefrom. The bore or opening 25 communicates 'with the open air`by a passage 27 entering the inner end of said bore 25 so that upon suiiicient withdrawal of the screw 26 by turning the handle thereof, the inner end of the passage 27 will be uncovered to a greater or less extent to permit the venting of air, and lubricant. A similar effect might be' obtained without the passage 27 by means of a groove in the thread of the screw or the thread of the bore 25.

The piston 21 is designed to be forced toward the base of the reservoir by air 'under pressure and includes t-wo oppositely 'facing cupped washers 30 of leather or like flexible material supported from thev rear by disks or plates 31 spaced apart by cylindrical members 32. The parts just referred to` are held in assembled relation by disks or plates 33 in the cupped shaped washers at the opposite sides of the pistons, a member 34 extending through the body of the piston and caps 35 secured on the ends of the member 34 in any suitable manner. Air is supplied to the reservoir behind the piston 21 by a valve 36 which may be of the usual type of tire valve. To enable the pressure at the rear of the vpiston to be brought downto atmospheric pressure quickly, the cap 11 is also provided with an air vent deviceI 37 whichmay be similar to the air vent device at the outlet end of the cylinder 16.

In the illustrated form of the invention. a strainer 40 is locatedvat the bottom of the socket 14, so that lubricant in moving from thereservoir 10 to the outlet 15- must pass therethrough. This strainer, `which is preferably of Wire gauze, is supported at the center by a projection 41 at the center of the bottom of the socket and is held in position at its peripheral edge by washers 42 at opposite sides thereof, the e iges of which are held in an annular recess in the wall of the socket near its bottom formed by unjection 41 and then flow to the outlet 15.

In order to move the grease gun or force feed lubricator from one position to another when desired, the grease gun is mounted on a truck 43 comprising side bars 44 of inwardly turned angle irons separated to a.

greater extent at one end where they are connected by a cross bar 45, and connected near the other end by a cross bar 46. Preferably, the side bars 44 are provided at their 'ends with ball bearing castors 47 which en -able easy movement in any direction.

In order to get an effective down'stroke of the pump lever or handle 48, the truck 43 must necessarily be of considerable length to give stability to the apparatus. It is therefore particularly desirable to arrange the reservoir 10 in a horizontal position extending along the truck with the handle 48 0f the pump lever 49 arranged above the reservoir so as to come close thereto in its down or compression stroke. To this end the base 13 is provided with webs or brackets 50, extending downwardly and also in a direction away .from the reservoir 10. These webs are pivoted at their forward -ends to the upright webs of the side bars 44 by suitable means, such as` bolts 51, and at their rearward ends with downwardlv projecting lugs 52 which as shown .in Fig. 1 are the only parts of the brackets in engagement with the horizontal webs of the side bars 44 of the truck and serve to determine the normalposition ofthe support or base-13 and the receptacle l0 In order to maintain the parts in such relative positions during the ordinary use of the grease gun, the webs 50`are provided with rearwardly extending lugs or pins 53 which are engaged by inwardly curved portions of leaf springs 54 secured to the side bars 444 at the outer faces of the upright Webs thereof. It will be evident that these springs will vnormally act to hold the base 13 and reservoir 10 in their normal positions but that when the reservoir 10 is separated therefrom by use ,of suiicient force. as by placing a foot upon the cross bar 45 and lifting the free end of the reservoir, the springs will yield.

It should be noted that the springs 54 are provided above their inwardly curved holding portions with outwardly inclined upper ends so that when the reservoir 10 is again lowered, the springs 54 will automatically be forced apart and then will come together again to engage the lugs 53 at their upper outside edges and retain the/ parts in their normal relative positions. The lifting of the reservoir 10 may be effected by means of a handle secured cent-rally to the cap 11 by suitable means including a screw 56.

The lever 49 is split or forked at the end opposite the handle to form two parallel branches or tines 57, between which are received the upper ends of the plunger 17 and a link 58 and to which the reduced upper end of the plunger and the upper end of the link 58 are pivoted by pivots or pins 59 and 60 respectively. The link 58 extends down. wardly through the forked end ofa bracket 61v secured to the support 13 at its outer face and is pivoted to said bracket by means of pi-vot 62. Downward movement of the lever 49 is limited by engagement of the lever with the upper end of the sleeve or collar 18 and the upward movement of the handle 48 is limited by engagement of a p in 63 passing through the outer ends of the arms 57 with the outer edge of the lilik 58 at a point where a depression 64 is provided to receive the pin 63.

lVhen the reservoir 10 is substantially full of lubricant and is urged forwardlyby compressed air behind the same and the lever 49 is operated Vwhen required, the lubricant urged forwardly by the piston 21 will gradually be exhausted by removal of successive portions thereof by successive movements of the piston or plunger 17and in course of time the supply of lubricant in the reservoir 10 will be exhausted. When this happens, the reservoir 10 is swung upwardly to its Fig. 6 position which is determined'by stops 65 in the webs 50 engaging the upper edges of the vertical `webs of the side bars 44. In such position, the reservoir and base 13 will be in stable but approximately balanced position whether or not the reservoir is full.

In order to prevent the grease from being blown out from around the bottom ofthe reservoir 1() when the latter isremoved from the socket 14, the pressure of air at the back of the piston 21 is relieved as by turning the handle 66 of the venting device 37. Assuming the pressure as being relieved and the reservoir 10 to be in itsig. 6 position, the double handle 55 is grasped by the operator and turned so as to unscrew the reservoir 10 from the socket 14. The reservoir will then be inverted, the piston 21 forced back in any suitable manner and lubricant supplied to the reservoir until the same is full. The reservoir may then be applied to the base 13 and screwed into the base socket 14. It should be noted that during this operation the strainer 40 is maintained stationary with respect to the base 13 and adjacent the socket 14.

I claim 1. A portable lubricating apparatus including a grease gun embodying a cylindrical reservoir detachably connected at its forward end to a base formed with a pump cylinder' transverse to the axis of the reservou'. a. piston 1n said pump cylinder, and a piston operating lever projecting beyond said `base and having a handle portion extendingalong said reservoir and pivoted to said base and said pump piston, in combination witli,a truck having an independent rigid frame on which said base member of the grease gun is pivoted so that the grease gun normally lies along said truck with the lever uppermost, whereby the gun may be swung upwardly to a generally upright position for detachment and filling of said reservo1r.

2. A portable lubricating apparatus including a grease gun embodying a cylindrical reservoir detachably connected at its forward end to a base formed With a pump cylinder transverse to the axis of the reservoir, a

piston in said pump cylinder, and a piston operating lever projecting beyond said base and having a handle portion extending along said reservoir and pivoted to said base and said pump, piston, in combination with a truck having an independent rigid frame on I which said base member of the grease gun is pivoted so that the grease gun normally lies along said truck with the lever uppermost. whereby the gun may be swung upwardly to a generally upright position for detachment and filling of said reservoir, and cooperating stops on the base and truck for supporting said parts in stable equilibrium in each of said positions. 'e

3. A portable lubricating apparatus including a grease gun embodying a cylindrical reservoir detachably connected at its forward end to a base formed with a pump cylinder transverse to the axis of the reservoir, a piston in said pump cylinder, and a piston operating lever projecting beyond said base Vand having a handle portion extending along said reservoir and pivoted to said base and said pump piston, in combination with a truck having an independent rigid frame on which said base member of the grease gun is pivoted so that the grease gun normally lies4 along said truck with the lever uppermost, whereby the gun may be swung upwardly to a generally upright position for detachment and filling of said reservoir, said truck being provided with spaced apart support means, including a base of support that is substantially wider than said pump and that extends rearwardly beyond the end of the pump handle and forwardly beyond a vertical line through the center of gravity of the grease gun and support means when the former is in the upright positio-n.

4. A portable lubricating apparatus including a grease gun embodying a cylindrical reservoir detachably connected at its forward end to a base formed with a pump cylinder transverse to the axis of the reservoir, a piston in said pump cylinder, anda piston operating lever projecting beyond said base and having a handle portie-n extending along said reservoir and pivoted to said base and said pump piston, in combination with a truck having an independent rigid' frame on which said base member of the grease gun is pivoted so that the grease gun normally lies along said truck with the lever uppermost, whereby the gun may be swung upwardly to a generally upright position for detachment and filling of said reservoir; and means for supporting said parts in stable equilibrium in each of said positions, said truck being provided with spaced apart support means, including castors, affording a base of support that is substantially wider than said pump and that extends rearwardly beyond the end of the pump handle and forwardly beyond a vertical line through the center of gravity of the support means, and grease gun when the latter is in the upright position.

5. A portable lubricating apparatus, comprising a grease gun of the type embodying a horizontally elongated reservoir detachably connected at its forward end to an end closure having a passage communicating with -a pump cylinder transverse to the axis of the reservoir, a piston in said pump cylinder, and a piston operating lever extending along said reservoir, in combination with a truck having an independentrigid frame on which said base member of the grease gun is pivoted so that the grease gun normally lies along said truck with the lever uppermost whereby the gun may be swungl upwardly to a generally upright position for detachment and filling of said reservoir; and means for supporting said parts instable equilibrium in each of said positions.

6. A portable lubricating apparatus, comprising a grease gun of the type embodying a horizontally elongated reservoir detachably connected at its forward end to an end closure having a passage communicating with a pump cylinder transverse to the axis of the reservoir, a piston in said pum cylinder, and

a piston operating lever exten ing along saidl reservoir, in combination with a truck having an independent rigid frame on which said base member of the grease gun is pivoted so that the grease gun normally lies along said truck with the lever uppermost, whereby the gun may be swun upwardly to a generally upright position or detachment and filling of said reservoir, said truck being provided with spaced apart support means, affording a base of support that is substantially wider than said pump and that extends rearwardly beyond the end of the pump handle and forwardly beyond a vertical line through the center of gravity of the support means, and grease gun when the latter is in the upright position.

7. A portable lubricating apparatus, compr sing a grease gun of the type embodying' a horizontally elongated reservoir detachably connected at its forward end to an end closure having a passage communicating with a pump cylinder transverse to the axiswhereby the gun may be swung upwardly to a generally upright position for detachment and filling of said reservoir, said truck being provided with spaced apart support means, including castors, affording a base. of support that is substantially wider than said pump and that extends rearwardly beyond the end of the pump handle andforwardly beyond a vertical line through the center of gravity of the support means, and grease gun when the latter is in the upright position.

8. A portable-lubricating apparatus, including a grease gun comprising a cylindrical reservoir for lubricant open at one end, a base to which the open end of said reservoir is detachably connected, a pump cylinder extending transversely of said reservoir and communicating at one side with said reservoir, a piston in said cylinder, a bracket on the outer side of said base, a link pivotally connected with said bracket` a lever pivotally connected with said link and with said piston so as to lie along said cylinder at the end of a pressure stroke, in combination with a wheeled truck including a reservoir supporting frame, and means for pivoting said base to saidV frame so that the reservoir may lie in substantially horizontal position or be swung upwardly to a gepierally upright position for detachment of-said reservoir for lfilling, and the truck may be rolled about with .fthe reservoir in either position.

9. The combina-tion with a truck', of a cylindrical reservoir for lubricant open at one end, a base to which the open end of said reservoir is detachably connected, a pump cylinder extending transversely of sai d reservoir and communicating at one side with the adjacent end thereof, a piston in said cylinder, an operating lever fulcrumcd on said base and with said piston so as to lie along said cylinder at the end of a pressure los stroke. means for pivoting said baseto said truck so that the reservoir may lie in substantially horizontal posit-ion therealong or may be swung upwardly to permit removal of said cylinder for filling, and latching means normally acting to hold said l'ervoir in its horizontal position on the truck.

lO. The combina-tion with a truck comprising longitudinal side members, of a cylindrical reservoir for lubricant open at-one end, a base to which the open end of saidreservoir is detachably connected, a pump carried by said base and including a pump cylinder extending transversely of said reservoir and communicating at one side with the adjacent end thereof, and brapkets projecting from said base at opposite sides and pivoted to said side members at points on the opposite side of the base from the reservoir, said brackets and side bars having cooperating parts adapted for engagement upon lowering of the reservoir to horizontal position and to support the reservoir in such position.

11; The combination with a truck comprisin g longitudinal side members, of a cylindrical reservoir for lubricant open at ,fone end, a base to whichthe open end of said reservoir is detachably connected, a pump carried by said base and including a pump cylinder extending transversely of said reservoir and communicating atone side with the adjacent` end thereof, v brackets projecting from said base at opposite sides and pivoted to said side members at points on the opposite side of the base from the reservoir, said brackets and side bars having cooperating parts adapted for engagement upon lowering of the reservoir to horizontal position and to support the reservoir in such position, and means to check the movementiof said reservoir away from said side members at a position in which the shifted stantially balanced.

l2. The combination with a truck comprising longitudinal side members having vertical webs and horizontal webs extending inwardly from the vertical webs below-the upper edges thereof, of a cylindrical reservoir for lubricant open at one end, a base to which the open end of said reservoir is detachably connected, a pump cylinder extending transversely of said reservoir and communicating at one side with the adjacent end thereof, a piston in said? cylinder, means comprising a lever connected with said base for operating said piston, and means for supporting said base on said truck including means for pivotally connecting the base with the vertical webs of the side bars at points on the opposite side thereof from the reservoir and stops connected with said base so that when the reservoir and base are swung downwardly to horizontal position the stops will engage the horizontal webs of the side bars and determine the normal position of the reservoir.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 15th day of May, A. D. 1928.

HERMAN ALBERTINE.

parts are sub- 

